"Total Members, returned by pri-) "vate patronage for England "and Wales, exclusive of the "forty-five for Scotland.... the 139 309 "That in this manner a majority of the "entire House is chosen, and are enabled, "being a majority, to decide all questions "in the name of the whole people of Eng"land and Scotland." All the Ministers have seats in one or the other of the Houses, and a great number of their secretaries and clerks besides. In 1808, when an account of this matter was ordered to be printed by the House of Commons, there were 76 persons in that House, who received, amongst them, 178,994 pounds sterling a year of the public money. What was received, in this way by the Peers and their families I have no means of knowing. But, not only can Members of either House enjoy the profits of places, or of grants; they can receive appointments and grants while they are members. They frequently take part in voting money to themselves. But, there is this safeguard, that in some cases, at least, when a member receives a lucrative appointment, he vacates his seat, and must, if he continue a Member, be reelected! It is, however, very rarely, that his "constituents" refuse to re-elect him! Oh! la belle chose! The king can dissolve the Parliament whenever he pleases; and the Parliament has been dissolved at every change of ministry for some time past. He can also prorogue the Houses at his pleasure. No person holding an office under the government can be a Member of either House; and no one can be appointed to any place (during the time for which he was elected), if such place has been created during the time he was in the Legislature. The President has no power to dissolve the Congress, or either of the Houses; nor to adjourn their meetings, unless they disagree upon the subject. Nor can he call them together at any but at periods fixed by law, except on extraordinary occasions. It is treason to compass the death of the king; and this may be by writing or talking, and indirectly as well as directly. The crime of treason here is against the king in America it is against the United States; that is to say against the people. By an act of this king's reign (to last 'till his death, and a year longer) it is declared to be high treason to endeavour to overawe the king, or either house of parlia ment, into a change of measures or councils; and, at one time, it was high treason to send to any person in the dominions of France, a bag of flour, a flitch of bacon, or a bushel of potatoes. In England the Church Establishment receives in rents and tythes about an eighth part of the amount of the rental of the whole kingdom. All the Bishops, Deans, Prebends, and the greater part of the beneficed priests are appointed by the Crown. There are test laws, which shut out from political and civil privileges great numbers of the people; and men are frequently severely punished, put in felon's jails, and fined, and pillored into the bargain, for writing, printing, or publishing their opinions about religion. The Bishops have seats in the House of Peers. Mar, riages are not legal unless sanctioned by the priests of the established church. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. If the President does not approve of a Bill, passed by the two Houses, he sends it back with his objections; but if two thirds of both Houses persevere, the Bill becomes a Law. The Congress alone has power to coin money, to raise troops, to build and equip ships. The privilege or writ of habeas corpus cannot be suspended, unless, when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it. America has lately been invaded in several parts, has had her towns burnt and plundered, her coast ravaged and devastated; and yet, the habeas corpus was not suspended. Treason consists only in levying war against the UNITED STATES, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. respecting an established religion, or "No law shall be made by Congress No religious test is required of any man prohibiting the free exercise thereof." to qualify him for any oflice. may publish what he pleases about reliAny man gion. No tythes in America. Marriages Magistrate, if the parties choose. are settled under the eye of the civil No law can be passed abridging the As to the liberty of SPEECH and of the PRESS, many acts have been passed freedom of SPEECH or of the PRESS. to abridge both; but, particularly one on the 12th of July, 1799, which suppressed all political societies, and all societies for debuting and lecturing; except under licences from the King's Justices of the peace, or police Magistrates. Even lodges of the poor childish Freemasons were ENGLISH GOVERNMENT. compelled to have a licence to meet, and to be registered; and, even after this, the King's Justices might order any lodge to be discontinued; that is to say, broken up. The King's Justices, in case of disobedience of this law, might punish, at once, by a fine of £20, or three months imprisonment; or if the offenders were convicted on indictment, they were to be transported for seven years. Publichouse keepers were to lose their licences if they permitted such meetings at their houses. Every place for lecturing, debating, or reading newspapers, where money shall be paid, is to be deemed a disorderly house, unless previously licensed. The King's Justices were authorized to take the licence from any publican; that is to say, to put an end to his trade, upon receiving information, that seditious or immoral publications were read in his house. -As to the PRESS, every Printer is, by the same act, compelled to give notice to the clerk of the King's Justices, that he keeps a press or presses for printing, and he is to receive a certificate of having given such notice, The Justice's clerk is to transmit a copy of the notice to the King's Secretary of State, in whose office the names and places of abode of all the printers, and the number of the presses, &c. &c. are all nicely registered. Letter Founders are to do the same; ard, moreover, they are to keep an account of the types and printing presses that they sell, and are to produce them, whenever required, to any Justice of the peaceThen, again, the name and place of abode of the printer must be printed on every paper, or book; and any one issuing forth, dispersing after published, any paper, or book, without the name and place of abode of the printer, to be punished by the forfeiture of 20.-The printer is compelled to keep a copy of every thing he prints; he is to write on it the name and abode of the person who employed him to print it, under the penalty of £20. Persons selling or handing about papers may be seized and carried before a justice to have it determined, whether they have been offending the law. Any justice may empower peace officers to search for presses and types HE suspects to be illegally used, and to seize them and the printed papers found. As to newspapers, the Proprietors, Printers, and Publishers are all compelled ENGLISH GOVERNMENT. to go to the Stamp-Office, and make an affidavit of their being such, and a lso of their place of abode. They are compelled to deposit one copy of each paper at the` office; and this copy with their own affidavits is all that is called for in proof of their being all guilty of any libel found in the paper. This An act was passed on the 18th of December, 1795, making it death for any part of the people above 50 in number, to meet for the purpose of petitioning, unless notice and authority for holding such Meeting be given to and obtained from the King's justices. The penalty of DEATH, without benefit of Clergy, occurs no less than nine times in this act. act, not to spin out its details, puts all political meetings wholly under the absolute authority of the Justices, Sheriffs, and other Officers; who can in some cases prevent their taking place at all; and, n all cases, put an end to them at their sole discretion.--First a written notice, signed by 7 householders of the place, is to be given of a meeting; this notice is to be conveyed to the clerk of the Justices. The Justices, thus apprized of the meeting, arrive. And, if they hear any body propounding, or maintaining, propositions for altering any thing by law established, except by the authority of King, Lords, and Commons, they may order the offending parties into custody." There needs no more. This is quite clear. It may be excellent; but it is impossible to find any thing like it in America. According to the amount, ordered to be printed by the House of Commons in 1808, the following are a few of our Sinecure:Auditor of the Exchequer, Lord Grenville .... £4,000 Teller, Earl Camden.... 23,117 Earl Bathurst .... 2,700 Clerk of the Pells, IIon. H. Addington 3,000 1,755 Montague Burgoyne 1,660 * This Mr. BURGOYNE has just written a circular letter to his neighbours in Essex, calling upon them to spend their last shilling, if neces sary, in a war against the Emperor of France, whom calls every thing but an honest man. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. No law can be passed to abridge the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for a redress of grievances, BM Burgoyne has had this place for more then years! Will he now give it up, seeing that money is so much wanted for this just and necessary warr There are no sinecures in America. Religious opi a predominant Church. I could my Lord, proceed much further, were it necessary; but, from what we have seen, I think, it is plain, that there is no likeness whatever in the two governments. As to that of France, as it is now new-modled, it appears to me to resemble the American rather than ours. People in France vote for Mem-fices to bestow. bers of the Legislature upon the principle of representation and taxation going hand in hand. There are no feudal titles or rights in France. The Peers are, in fact, no more than eminent citizens, having no great estates attached to their titles and seats. There is, and there is to be, no established religion. The two Chambers in France, like the Congress in America, are forbidden to pass any law respecting This is a government certainly very much like that of America. Mr. Grattan observed that the French people had exchanged the paradise of the Bourbons for the "eternal damnation of a military despotism." May be so; but, they seem resolved not to have feudal titles and courts; monastries and tythes; gabelles, corvées and game-laws. May be so ; but, it has not been proved. In conclusion, my Lord, give me leave |